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Requesters Express Satisfaction with Outcome of Egypt P-for-R Case

Nov 20, 2019

A representative of project-affected community members who filed a Request for Inspection of the Upper Egypt Local Development Program-for-Results has written the Inspection Panel to express satisfaction with the outcome of the case.

“We have been very pleased by your response to our concerns, which contributed effectively to the completion of the project,” Ahmed Osman Omer wrote in a November 11, 2019, email to the Panel, in which he also expressed the community’s thanks to the project engineer and contractor, World Bank staff, the Local Development Program team and the local implementation unit.

In a January 2019 complaint, Requesters claimed that a subproject of the program was expected to cover 200 meters of a canal passing through their community but that 90 meters remained uncovered – creating environmental, health and safety impacts. They asked that the entire 200 meters of canal be covered to prevent negative impacts on the community.

The Panel met with Bank management on February 6, 2019, to discuss the concerns raised in the Request, and was provided with a document from the Government of Egypt committing to cover the remaining 90 meters of canal as originally foreseen in the design. Bank management noted that the work was expected to be completed within five months and informed the Panel it would supervise the implementation of these commitments. On February 13, 2019, Bank management sent the Panel a memorandum setting forth these commitments. The complainants informed the Panel both of their satisfaction with the response to the issues raised in the Request, and of their decision not to continue with the Panel process at that time.

Based on those developments, the Panel on February 14, 2019, issued a Notice of Non-Registration of the Request, but noted that the Requesters retained their right to submit a new Request should the canal not be fully covered as planned.

In his recent email, the community representative said the project was now fully completed and thanked the Panel for its “efforts and support to our legitimate cause, without which we would not have reached the solution we have now.”